Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-05-31
LEPERS OF LOUISIANA.
Prevalence OF the Dread MaIady In Two
Old Parishes-A Hereditary Attic.
zion and Not at all Contagious.
Preparing to Establish a Hospital for tho
Infocted-A Description of the
Horrible Disease.
New orleans Letter to Chicago Times.

for the establishment of leper hospital.
There are now three localities affected by
leprosy in Louisiana-in Lafourche, YER
million and st. Martinsville, where the
disease has been propagsted for g century
or more. In the instance Just reported
in St. MartinsvilIe the Board of Health
declares it to be hereditary and non
contagious, but when q former investiga-
ton was made in LafOurche some time
ago, there we're indications of ContagioD,
and the inquiry made by the British gov
eminent in Nova Scotia, whence it was
carried to Louisiaoa, showed that in
many cases the loathsome disease
could be transferred from one
affected with it TO healthy per-
SON The Louisiana Board of
Health, and the press, therefore, call for
leper hospital, and for the passage of
lew isolatiDg in it all persons affected
with the disease, and they point out that
such hospital existed in New Orleans
many years ago, and succeeded in effect
ually eXterminating leprosy in that sec
ticn Of the state. TIE investigation of
the board at ST. Msrtinsville showed that
while there was very little of the disease
there-only eight cases, including the sus-
z
prevalence had done great injury. St.
Martinsville is sleepy little town of 5000
people, the commercial and social capital
of that portion of Louisiana Inhabited by
the Acadiars who came there from AGA
dia or Nova Scotia, something over cen
fury ago, and whose story has been so
well told by Longfellow in "Evange-
line" The population of the town
is almost wholly French, and French
is the ordinary language. Occasional
cases of leprosy have been reported
from the neighborhood for years past,
and when some one-it is said to have
been the resident of a rival business CEN
ter-started the rumor that the disease
had reached an epidemic form, that sew
eral hundred people were afflicted with
It, and it wss rapidly spreading, the story
was generally believed, and panic en-
sued which killed business OF ell kinds,
and made 81. Martnsville gloomy and
deserted. Tae farmers of the neighbour
hood refused to come to SO dangerous g
place either to buy or sell, and within the
town people were SO frightened that they
refused to shake hands with each other
through fear of catching the disease, and
even refused to be shaved by the barber
for a ike reason. Everyone suspected
his nelghbor, and q feeling of insecurity
prevailed that finally became uneu-
durable, a2d the Board Of Health
was called on TO investigate
the matter. It's investigation has
shown the reported prevalence of the
leprOsy there TO be grossly exaggerated,
and that it is not contagious, but heredi-
tary At the same time, "to make as
suraDce dOuOiy sure" the Mayor Of the
town has taken the wise precautiOn of
isolating those who have been afflicted
with this disease until such time as the
state shall provide hospital for them.
There is every excuse Tor The panic, for
the ieprosy has been known to exist in q
certain section Of Louisiana, notably in
the lower eud Of Lsfourche parish, for
over century, and Of all 'the ills that flesh
is heir 10" no one can equal this horrible
msl2dy, against which there is no hope,
which renders its victim disgusting to
the world and 30 himself, and which
shows itself in the descendants 30 the
last generation. The disease in Louisiana
is the true Oriental leprOsy, differing in
only few features from that described;
in the Bible. 1t is treGCherous, anSccmesS
go slowly upon its victim that he knows
nothing of its approach until its hasslas
tened its fatal hands upon him. sEssfe is
a slight pain in the leg or arm; or possi-
bly, g mild eadaChe-nothing more.
Some weeks, or perhaps months, after
ward q small red spot shows itself upon
the forehead or arm. II is so small az to
attract no attentiOn-tO be scarcely no.
uced, but it gradually grows larger and
larger, until it extends over the whole
face, giving it an undulated or bUmpy ap
pearance; the red changes to q dark
brown and finally TO 8 bronze, and as
sumes more and more the roughness and
appearance of leather, looking finally like
the hide If an elephant From that time
the disease progresses rapidly. The hair
and teeth drop out, the nails fall off, the
eXtremities become purpliSh, the fingers
snG toes rot away; tie mouth becomes
fsS8Esh, as hot IS g lime-kiln; the
tongts, blOtCny and purpllsh red,
ma MSS from it, and finally
crops out; the voice grows weaker and
weaker and disappears; the throat fills
up, and tracheotomv frequently has to be
re .Orted TO and q tube inserted in order to !
ALLOW the patient to breathe. Ulcers break !
out on the legs and arms and gradually |
eat them away: the face becomes less |
human and finally assumes the appearance !
OF a wild animal, without any resem |
blsnce to humanity. The two Misses
BoyeD, girls of nineteen and twenty-five, !
who had been fair and pretty, looked Ike |
women oil over 100, haggard, hairless and
toothless, their faces O livid bronze and |
covered with ulcers. In the latter stages |
OF the disease the victim is absolutely |
helpless, with only the trunk left behind, !
to finally die of exhaustion. During these !
stages the odor emitted, distinctive of
leprosy, is so oppressive that one can
with d ficulty remain IN the same room |
with the lepeE
Knowing of the nature of this disease,
and doubtful whether il is contagious or
not, it is not to be wondered at that the
people living in these districts where it
prevails should demand some protection.
Some time ago the board of health was
called in by the police jury of LafouIche
to lock into the prevalence of prosy in
that parish, and DR.. Jones, the president,
himself made the investigation. The
complaint was g far more serious one
SSian that from St. MartinsVille, for the
lseople Living m the same ward as the
lepersspf against the latter sending
their children to the public schools, where
they were thrown into close intercourse
with the children of healthy parents. This
eper settlement is in the lower portion